21 Savage’s lawyers have confirmed he was born in the UK.
In a statement released on Tuesday evening, attorneys for the rapper, whose real name is Sha Yaa Bin Abraham-Joseph, confirmed he was born in the UK and also that he came to the US when he was just 7 years old.
“Mr. Abraham-Joseph was born in the United Kingdom,” they said in the statement. “ Mr. Abraham-Joseph arrived legally in the United States at the age of 7 under an H-4 visa. He remained in the United States until June 2005, when he departed for approximately one month to visit the United Kingdom. He returned to the United States under a valid H-4 visa on July 22, 2005. Mr. Abraham-Joseph has been continuously physically present in the United States for almost 20 years, except for a brief visit abroad. Unfortunately, in 2006 Mr. Abraham-Joseph lost his legal status through no fault of his own.”
It continues, “Mr. Abraham-Joseph, like almost two million of his immigrant child peers, was left without immigration status as a young child with no way to fix his immigration status. These ‘Dreamers’ come from all walks of life and every ethnicity.”
The “A Lot” rapper was arrested by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Atlanta early Sunday morning. They allege that he has been living in the country illegally since overstaying his visa as a child.
In addition to making clear that the 26-year-old’s in-doubt immigration status arose through no fault of his own, his lawyers also countered claims by ICE about their client’s criminal past.
“Mr. Abraham-Joseph has no criminal convictions or charges under state or federal law and is free to seek relief from removal in immigration court,” they said in the statement. “ICE provided incorrect information to the press when it claimed he had a criminal conviction.”
21 Savage’s lawyers also reiterated their previous statement that the rapper never hid his immigration status from authorities and that there is no legal reason for his detainment, as they claim he is not a flight risk and has proven himself a valuable member of his community.
In a previous statement, Charles H. Kuck, an immigration lawyer working on behalf of 21 called the arrest a “civil law violation.”